Sandblasting machine for cleaning inlays or the like



T. A. WEBBER SAND BLASTING MACHINE FOR CLEANING INLAYS OR THE LIKE Filed May 24, 1950 Feb. 5, 1952 INVENTOR. THOMAS A.WF B BER ATTOANEY WWW Patented Feb. 5, 1952 OFFICE INLAYg OR THE? Thin-nae Webber, ifiafe'viue; Md.- Application it,v 1950, erial 162918 4- diainisz (01. h s) My invention relates to; a sand blasting machine for use in cleaning small articles, such as dental inlays or crowns, diamonds, articles of jewelry and the like. 7

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above mentioned character which is small, compact, portable andis' adapted for use upon a table or the like.

A further object of the invention is to orange simple and reliable means for mounting the air blast assembly upon the casing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. 7

In the accompanying drawingsforming a partof this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout same:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an air'blast machine embodying my invention,

Figure 2" is a front elevation of the same, a

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section. taken on line 4- 3 of Figure 1, I 3

Figure 5' is a central vertical longitudinar s tion through the sand blasting" assembly, parts in elevation, and, V

Figure 6 is a sideelevationof the elastic sleeve".

The machine comprises" a casing HI, which rectangular in longitudinal vertical section and in transverse vertical section, except for an clined front portion M. This casing may be" formed of metal or any other suitable material and is preferably sand or dust proof". Themclined front" portion H is provided with an" el or'r gated window I2, covered by glass #3- or other transparent material. A" sleeve M' is attached w one end of the casing H and leads into the c 5'? ing for the passage of the hand. An elastic sleeve :5 is secured to the sleeve F4", and taperstoward its-outer end so' that i't will snugly engage the arm of the operator; Suitably mounted uponthe end of the casing ll remotefr'om' the sleeve [4 is anelectri'cal bulb l6, receiving current iron? a cable I? and having a nob i dincluded a" switch to open and close the circuit to the ment of the bulb. This nob is arranged criterion 1y of and near the top of the casing. The is arranged near and beneath the top of the casing.

The numeral i9 designates a sand massages: sembly, comprising a valve 20 which is biased closed-.- The valve includes a'casing it; a d the valve element or the valve is-is eperiee by a lever 22', pivotedat 23 to the casing 2|. This 1ev'er is' arranged to engage a stem 24 of the valve element. The valve casing 2| is arranged exteriorly of the front 35 of the casing l0 near its transverse and longitudinal centers and has a tube 25 secured to the intake side of the casing 2|, and this tube is adapted for connection with a hose which leads to a source of air pressure. Formed integral with the casing 2| and leading into the outlet side of. the same is a horizontal tube 26, having a screw-threaded portion 21 slightly smaller in diameter than the end portion 28- and a smooth portion 29 of smaller diameter than the screw-threaded portion 21.

The. numeral 30 designates an L-shaped bracket having a vertical arm 3| and a horizontal arm 32. The vertical arm has anopening 33, to receive the smooth portion 28 and the smooth portion 28' also passes through an opening 34 formed in the front face 35 of the casing. The tube 29' has a shoulder 36 which engages the front face 35. The tube 26 is clamped to the front face 35 by a nut 31, engaging the screwthfeaded portion 2'! and bearing against a washer 38'. 3 p

The numeral 39 designates a tubular couplingwhich is slidably mounted upon; the smooth portion 2 9 and carries a sleeve 40 having screwthreaded engagement with the coupling 39 at 4|, and the sleeve receives therein a rubber or graph ite packing 42. This rubber or graphite packing engages the smooth portion 29 and is pressed against the smooth portion when the sleeve 40 is screwed up; The arrangement permits of a lim- 1 ited; horizontal adjustment of the coupling 39 is connected with a-verticalsand pipe-4'1; throughthe" medium of a sleeve 68 having a scre-wthreaded engagement therewith,- as shown. The

vertical tubular couplin has an upper reduced extension 49 passing through an opening 56 in the horizontal arm 30-, but having no screwthreaded engagement therewith; The tubular coupling is clamped to the arm 30 by a nut 5i,

engaging a Washer 52. A vertical sand nozzle" 53 is provided having a depending extension 54, having screw-threaded engagement within the reduced extension 49. The nozzle 53 has a vertical bore 55.

The vertical nozzle 53 has its upper end in alignment with the central horizontal axis of the bore 45 of the nozzle s3 and the forward end of the nozzle 43 is horizontally spaced from the upper end of the nozzle 53. This distance may vary but I have found satisfactory results have been obtained by having the discharge end of the nozzle 43 spaced for one to one and one-half millimeters from the central vertical axis of the bore The sand pipe ll is vertically disposed and its lower end is spaced from the bottom of the casing for about one-fourth of an inch although this distance may be varied. The casing l9 holds fine sand 56, which covers the lowerend of the sand pipe t? and may extend to any suitable level above its lower end, beneath the nozzles.

In the use of the machine, the electric bulb is turned on to illuminate the interior of the casing,

and the article to be cleaned, such as a dental gold inlay, crown, diamond, article of jewelry, is held in one hand and the hand inserted into the casing through the sleeves i and H3. The article to be cleaned is held near the upper end of the verticla nozzle 53, at the elevation of the upper end of the nozzle 53, and upon that side thereof remote from the nozzle 33. Lever 22 is now depressed and the valve element of the valve unsettled, and the air pressure passes through the valve and through the tube 26. This air pressure discharges through the bore d5 of the nozzle 43, and the stream of compressed air passes over the upper end of the vertical nozzle 53, extending above and below such upper end for a short distance. The compressed air travels at a high velocity and creates a suction in the vertical nozzle 53 which is transmitted to the vertical sand pipe d? and the fine sand is drawn up through the pipe 4! and discharges through the bore 55 of the nozzle into the path of travel of the horizontally moving compressed air stream. A horizon tally moving sand blast is therefore provided which impinges against the article to be cleaned. The operator may observe the cleaning action through the window it and when it is desired to cut off the sand blast, the lever 22 is released and the valve element automatically closes. The pipe 4'! produces a well in the fine sand 55 and the sand may pair of sides, the top of the casing having a window through which the interior of the casing may be viewed, the casing being provided in one upstanding side with an opening through which the hand may be inserted into the casing horizontally to hold work therein, an upstanding side of the casing which is substantially at right angles to the side having the opening being provided with a secondopening arranged substantially at the ele-- vation of the firstenamed opening, a sand-blast nozzle projecting through the second opening and having its longitudinal axis arranged substantially horizontally and substantially at right angles to the axis of the first-named opening, a substantially L-shaped bracket including substantially horizontal and upstanding arms having openings, the opening of the upstanding arm receiving the sand-blast nozzle, means engaging the sand-blast nozzle and upstanding arm and securbe shifted toward the pipe ill by the hand within the casing. The air may be supplied at a pressure of from fifteen to forty pounds.

It is thus seen that I have provided an extremely simple sand blasting machine, having the parts arranged in a highly compact manner. The

sand blasting assembly is bodily mounted upon that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A sand-blast device comprising a generally rectanguar casing including a bottom adapted to rest on a table, pairs of opposed upstanding sides and a top, one pair of upstanding sides being arranged substantially at right angles to the other ing the nozzle and upstanding arm to the side having the second opening, a generally vertical sand tube engaging in the opening of the substantially horizontal arm and extending below the same and having its lower end terminating near the bottom 01" the casing, the upper discharge end of the sand tube being arranged near the discharge end of the nozzle, and means engaging the sand tube and substantially horizontal arm for securing the sand tube thereto.

2. A sand-blast device comprising a casing adapted to hold a finely divided abrasive and having a window through which the interior of the casing may be viewed and an opening through which the hand may be inserted to hold work within the casing, the casing having an upstanding side provided with an opening, an air nozzle extending through the opening of the upstanding side and having its longitudinal axis arranged substantially horizontally and its discharge end terminating within the casing, a substantially L- shaped bracket including substantially vertical and horizontal arms having openings, the opening of the substantially vertical arm receiving the air nozzle, means engaging the air nozzle and substantially vertical arm for securing them to the upstanding side, a substantially vertical sand nozzle engaging in the opening of the substantially horizontal arm and having its discharge end directed upwardly and arranged near the discharge end of the air nozzle, means engaging the sand nozzle for securing it to the substantially horizontal arm, and a depending tube secured to the sand nozzle and having its lower end terminating near the bottom of the casing.

3. A sand-blast device comprising a casing adapted to hold a finely divided abrasive and into which work is introduced to be polished, the easing having an upstanding side provided with an opening, a substantially horizontal tube extending through the opening of the side and having a screw-threaded portion disposed inwardly of the side, a substantially L-shaped bracket including substantially vertical and horizontal arms having openings, the opening of the substantially vertical arm receivin the tube, nut means mounted upon the screw-threaded portion of the tube and engaging the substantially vertical arm and serving to clamp the substantially vertical arm against the upstanding side and securing the tube to such side, an air nozzle secured to the inner end of the tube and having its bore arranged substantially horizontally and its discharge end terminating within the casing, a unit comprising a substantially vertical sand tube and an upwardly directed sand nozzle, the sand nozzle having its discharge end arranged near the discharge end of the air nozzle, the unit engaging in the opening of the substantially horizontal arm and having a screw-threaded part, nut means engaging the screw-threaded part of the unit and securing the unit to the substantially horizontal arm, and compressed air supply means connected with said tube and arranged exteriorly of the casing.

4. A sand-blast device comprising a casing adapted to hold a finely divided abrasive and into which work may be introduced to be polished, the casing having an upstanding side provided with an opening, a substantially horizontal tube engaging in the opening and having a screwthreaded portion extending inwardly of the upstanding side, a substantially L-shaped bracket including substantially vertical and horizontal arms having openings, the opening of the substantially vertical arm receiving the tube, the

substantially vertical arm engaging the inner face of the upstanding side, nut means mounted upon the screw-threaded portion of the tube and engaging the substantially vertical arm and serving to clamp the substantially vertical arm and tube to the upstanding side, an air nozzle secured prising a substantially vertical sand tube and an upwardly directed sand nozzle, the sand nozzle having its discharge end in substantial alignment with the central longitudinal axis of the bore of the air nozzle, the unit engaging in the opening of the substantially horizontal arm and having a screw-threaded part, and nut means engagin the screw-threaded part of the unit and securing the unit to the substantially horizontal arm, the substantially vertical sand tube extending below the substantially horizontal arm, the substantially horizontal arm being disposed beneath the substantially horizontal tube and air nozzle.

THOMAS ANGUS WEBBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 646,740 King Apr. 3, 1900 783,850 Zucker Feb. 28, 1905 834,067 Loughman et al Oct. 23, 1906 914,783 Boland Mar. 9, 1909 1,226,621 Gieland May 15, 1917 1,676,576 Ruemelin July 10, 1928 1,690,629 Fleming et al. Nov. 6, 1928 

